Who Must Pay Self-Employment Tax?

If you are a self-employed U.S. citizen or resident, the rules for paying self-employment tax are generally the same whether you are living in the United States or abroad.

The self-employment tax is a social security and Medicare tax on net earnings from self-employment of $400 or more a year.

For 2001, the maximum amount of net earnings from self-employment that is subject to the social security tax is $80,400. All net earnings of at least $400 are subject to the Medicare tax.

Employed by a U.S. church. If you were employed by a U.S. church or a qualified church-controlled organization that chose exemption from social security and Medicare taxes and you received wages of $108.28 or more from the organization, the amounts paid to you are subject to self-employment tax. However, you can choose to be exempt from social security and Medicare taxes if you are a member of a recognized religious sect. See Publication 517 for more information about church employees and self-employment tax.

Effect of exclusion. You must take all of your self-employment income into account in figuring your net earnings from self-employment, even income that is exempt from income tax because of the foreign earned income exclusion.

Example. You are in business abroad as a consultant and qualify for the foreign earned income exclusion. Your foreign earned income is $95,000, your business deductions total $27,000, and your net profit is $68,000. You must pay self-employment tax and Medicare tax on all of your net profit, including the amount you can exclude from income.

Members of the clergy. If you are a member of the clergy, you are treated as self-employed for self-employment tax purposes. Your U.S. self-employment tax is based upon net earnings from self-employment figured without regard to the foreign earned income exclusion or the foreign housing exclusion.

You can receive exemption from coverage for your ministerial duties if you conscientiously oppose public insurance due to religious reasons or if you oppose it due to the religious principles of your denomination. You must file Form 4361 to apply for this exemption.

This subject is discussed in further detail in Publication 517.

Puerto Rico, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, or Virgin Islands. If you are a U.S. citizen or resident and you own and operate a business in Puerto Rico, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, or the Virgin Islands, you must pay tax on your net earnings from self-employment (if they are $400 or more) from those sources. You must pay the self-employment tax whether or not the income is exempt from U.S. income taxes (or whether or not you must otherwise file a U.S. income tax return). Unless your situation is described below, attach Schedule SE (Form 1040) to your U.S. income tax return.

If you do not have to file Form 1040 with the United States and you are a resident of any of the U.S. possessions listed in the preceding paragraph, figure your self-employment tax on either Form 1040-PR or Form 1040-SS, whichever applies.

You must file these forms with the Internal Revenue Service Center, Philadelphia, PA 19255-0215.

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